Chapter 2228: The True Power of a Savior |
What lay hidden within that massive vortex, what form the Calamity Beast of the Eighteenth Epoch truly took, only Jenkins and Chocolate could clearly see. Everyone else perceived nothing more than the phantom of a tall, imposing man standing before the swirling chaos.
The purple light symbolizing destiny in Jenkins’s eyes vanished the moment he touched the violet gemstone coin. Yet, he had never felt closer to what men called fate than he did right now.
The remaining eight colorful gems shimmered before him like points of light. Jenkins reached out, his finger touching [Destiny's Stage] first.
This was the most unique of the nine emblems of a Savior, for it was a sigil formed from a chain of abilities. Only a Savior born with a link in that chain could ever unleash its full potential.
In Jenkins’s possession, [Destiny's Stage] had merely been a passive ability, bolstering his luck and nudging the odds of chance events in his favor.
But now, as he touched the coin, a cascade of colorful light showered their surroundings, and the true power of [Destiny's Stage] was revealed.
The coin vanished, its iridescent light sinking into the circular platform beneath their feet. That same brilliance flowed into the twenty-five people behind him, and even into Chocolate.
A small, spectral stage flickered into existence above the ground for an instant before the colorful sigil of [Destiny's Stage] and the purple sigil of [The Unknown Path] overlapped on the platform’s surface.
From the false sea of stars, a colossal metal tentacle whipped upward. The group raised their hands in unison, and their combined spirit formed a shield that miraculously blocked the Calamity Beast’s strike.
[Destiny's Stage]: when the ability manifested in the user’s chosen area, everyone on the stage was considered an ally. Their powers would unite, their lives intertwine. As long as one remained, none would fall. No one on the stage could “exit” for any reason until the user declared the performance over or their spirit was depleted. Furthermore, the user’s own power would be amplified, scaling with the combined strength of everyone on the stage.
“Jenkins, you focus on its true form! We’ll handle the rest of its attacks!”
Papa Oliver shouted from behind. On the stage, under the brilliant light of the ability, he seemed to have returned to his youth, temporarily restored to the prime of his power.
Mr. Gilbert and the others also recovered from their injuries, their strength fully restored. They formed a circle, facing outward, repelling the strange metal constructs and gear monsters that swarmed them from the star-filled sea.
“Alright!”
Jenkins responded, reaching out again. This time, he touched [Uncrowned King].
[Uncrowned King]. This was the last Savior emblem Jenkins had obtained, and he had been forced into this final battle before he could even fully understand its function.
He only vaguely knew that with this power, he could suppress other members of his own race, and those who acknowledged him as their king would find their strength enhanced in his presence.
As the yellow gemstone coin vanished, a transparent, crystal-like crown materialized above Jenkins’s head. But the massive crown was far larger than Jenkins himself.
The crown descended, its rim aligning perfectly with the edge of the circular platform at their feet. A third sigil appeared on the ground, merging with the previous two.
The crystal crown gradually faded until it was invisible, but a crystalline luster now coated the bodies of the twenty-six people and one cat.
The tall figure before the vortex, who had kept its hands tucked into its sleeves, finally drew one out. It pointed a finger at the group, and a beam of utter blackness shot from its fingertip toward their heads.
This was the purest power of the Calamity Beast, something that could not be explained by any mortal concept. The space and the false star sea nearly disintegrated under the beam’s force. Even the gear minions summoned from the void instinctively recoiled from its path.
But the black beam was stopped cold above their heads, blocked by the crystal crown. Vague images seemed to flicker within the massive diadem—images of civilization, the very civilization forged by the people of the Eighteenth Epoch.
The true power of [Uncrowned King] changed according to the strength of the wielder’s race. In addition to enhancing the power of one’s companions, the strength of their civilization would awaken the crown’s greater potential. Its effect was to summon the crystal crown as an insurmountable defense.
As long as civilization did not perish, the crown could be reborn indefinitely. Its defensive capabilities scaled with the degree of recognition the wielder received, as well as the might of their race’s civilization.
That was why the purple light had prompted Jenkins to use this ability first. Even if it couldn’t defeat the Difference Engine, it would at least prevent their swift demise.
“Savior~”
A cry echoed through the star-strewn void. The tall figure before the vortex aimed its wide sleeve at Jenkins. Two brass-colored snakes—vile, gear-faced serpents that moved with the fluidity of flesh and blood—shot out from the sleeve, lunging for him.
Jenkins extended a finger and tapped the blue gemstone coin of [The Stranger].
The coin spun rapidly, dissolving into points of blue light that merged into Jenkins’s body. Behind him, it was as if desert sands were churning, and the roaring, wailing forms of countless non-human creatures materialized only to dissipate an instant later.
The blue sigil fused with the platform beneath him. Jenkins opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of brilliant silver dragon’s breath. The twin serpents pushed through the flames, but in the next moment, they were swarmed by a flurry of bats.
The great serpents opened their maws, revealing metallic fangs, intending to devour the swarm. But the bats converged, coalescing into the right hand of a Titan. With a single clench of its palm, it crushed the metal serpents into scrap.
[The Stranger], in Jenkins’s hands, had only been an ability to inflict grievous, difficult-to-heal wounds upon creatures of different races. But its true function was to absorb the power of every non-human being he had ever defeated. The lonely stranger had no companions, so he had to utilize and absorb the strength of his enemies.
Now, the power of every non-human entity Jenkins had encountered in the past year resonated with his elven blood, summoning the strength of the vanquished into this world. The metal serpents, a manifestation of the Calamity Beast’s own power, were utterly destroyed by the force of [The Stranger] before they could even approach the circular platform.
Pressing his advantage, he again reached for the lights before him. This time, he touched the black gemstone coin, the one that represented the ability of the [Hero].
The coin flipped, scattering into points of black light. Because it inherently possessed the power to purify sin, the ability of the [Hero] flared with immense power in the presence of the Calamity Beast.
A black sigil overlaid the circular platform, and at the same time, Jenkins once more summoned his fiery red, spiral greatsword.
He wielded it one-handed, and with a single swing, he set the starry expanse ablaze with a sea of fire.
The so-called Hero was not just about the immense power Jenkins could wield; it was also a bond, a conduit for the will and conviction of indomitable figures from ages past.
Within this sea of fire created by the spiral sword, [Hero] unleashed its true potential. With each inheritance, the ability’s power grew. Because Jenkins had acquired it indirectly, he had only inherited the Hero’s combat prowess, not its legacy of accumulated strength.
The spiral sword, having been tempered by the guardian of the forge, already possessed a potent spiritual enchantment. Now, as the light of [Hero] bloomed, the ancient heroes who had once inherited this ability began to appear within the inferno.
These were not souls, but the imprints left upon the ability by its previous wielders. One by one, figures emerged from the flames and strode across the void. The fire scorched their bodies, yet it also fueled their strength.
A knight in dark silver armor, an adventurer in a short tunic wielding a long blade, a sorcerer with a crossbow in his right hand and a staff in his left, a saintess in white robes with a sacred bell at her waist... they came from ages past, willingly offering their strength to aid the current inheritor of the Hero.
Jenkins switched the sword to his left hand and reached out again, tapping the golden gemstone coin—that of [Real Illusion].
A phantom aura enveloped the entire group and the heroes standing upon the star sea as the golden sigil overlaid the platform below.
The mechanical monsters flying from the depths of the void tried to continue their assault, but every attack passed straight through the group’s phantasmal forms. Their figures grew illusory, then reappeared, much closer to the tall silhouette before the vortex.
[Real Illusion], in Jenkins’s hands, had been a simple single-target transposition ability. In truth, its real effect could envelop a certain area, turning all objects within it into phantoms. Then, depending on the user’s spirit reserves, it could perform a long-distance, multi-person spatial jump to any location with a shadow that the user had ever been to or seen.
Using the ability at full power, the circular platform, the twenty-five people behind him, and the host of heroic phantoms guarding them all leaped across the star sea. They materialized closer to the vortex, but they still had not bypassed the figure standing guard before it.
Carrying the embers of the inferno, the heroes charged toward the tall phantom. The demigods, too, unleashed their own powers, assailing the silhouette and the vortex behind it with divine arts and spells.
The transparent crystal crown protected them from all attacks, while the stage of destiny fueled their strength.
Jenkins did not join their attack. Three floating coins remained before him. He reached out and tapped the red one: [Twin Demons].
The phantom of a laughing demon flickered behind him, and then the demonic sigil merged with the platform below.
Switching the sword to his right hand, he leaped from the protected circular platform and charged alongside the multitude of heroes toward the tall phantom guarding the vortex.